Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Busra Yosmaoglu, of Shycook, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My company, Shycook, is a private chef + catering service that brings global inspiration and fine-dining mastery to private events in and around New York City. From bespoke menu development to meticulously selected ingredients to flawless execution—it’s all me, a one-woman show.
My customers are gourmets who crave innovative culinary brilliance. I fuse Mediterranean influences with global inspiration and local ingredients to inspire new creations that are inventive, elegant, and always memorable. Beyond the food, what I create is a beautiful experience that my customers are able to savor with those they care about.
Tell us about yourself
Growing up in a gourmet family, my palette took shape early. I was raised on handpicked mushrooms foraged at the edge of the Black Sea. Wild spring greens were plucked from the fields of tiny Aegean villages. Hummus we traveled hours to taste in its namesake city. From a young age, I was tasting, cooking, learning to appreciate ingredients, and imagining all the beautiful ways they can combine.
When I decided to turn cooking into a career, I started from the bottom. My first job as an apprentice at a restaurant in Istanbul led me to work in kitchens all over the world: Berlin, Buenos Aires, and eventually, Michelin-starred New York City restaurants—which is where I was working when I decided to launch Shycook.
I’d experimented with pop-up backyard dinners while living in Argentina and found myself craving the adventure that came with them. As a private chef, every event is a unique adventure, a challenge to push my skills and imagination to meet the moment. In some ways, I’ve never lost that hungry apprentice mindset. I’m forever learning, experimenting, and inventing. Shycook was born of a desire to pursue those adventures.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It’s my clients. From famous athletes to cultured Manhattanites to fashion moguls, they are loyal, supportive, and even adventurous—and they have been from day one. I’m deeply grateful for the enduring trust and empathy we’ve established. Their partnership fuels my drive and unlocks my creativity.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There’s a long list of challenges that come with being a small business owner—but that’s not why I do this, and that’s not what I focus on. When you’re truly pursuing your passion, that hardship becomes background noise. At the end of the day, I get to go to sleep fulfilled, and that’s what counts the most.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My best advice is something a chef I once worked with used to tell me: “Listen to everyone but don’t take everyone’s advice. Know nothing, but do everything.” It’s the wisdom I’ve returned to again and again throughout my journey, and somehow it always feels relevant. For those who are ready to swallow their doubts and take the leap, come back to that wisdom, and you’ll find your way.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.shycook.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shycookny
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shycook/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.